To the surprise of most, the current gen iPhone didn't hit the market as the best hardware in  its category.  If anything, though, Apple has made a fortune in proving that the "biggest, fastest and most powerful" hardware doesn't always make for the most compelling product.  Does the iPhone 4S continue that trend?

Physically, it's indistinguishable from its predecessor.  As such, it's smaller in dimensions and bulkier than today's crop of premium handsets.    That means, it retains the 3.5-inch display size that the iPhone has had since 2007 -- a far smaller screen than the seemingly standard 4 inches of today's high-end smartphones.  To me, that's the biggest gripe.  While the Retina Display remains stunning, so do those Super AMOLED Plus on Samsung's new phones and they're on much larger  panels, too.  Oh yeah, the design now incorporates two antennas, so even if your hands are blocking one (as with the iPhone 4), the other antenna can pick up the slack.

As a phone, the iPhone 4S makes for great calls (tests done on the Sprint network), with excellent quality and volume.  There is occasional buzzing in the background, but it's hardly noticeable.  Those on the other end reported equally good call performance.  Speakerphone is good with plenty of volume, although you'll have to stand a bit close when taking calls in loud places or the mic will struggle to pick you up clearly.  Battery is rated at up to 8 hours of talk time.

There are several notable new features in this next-gen upgrade.  One is the faster, dual-core chipset, which makes for notable bumps in speed performance compared to the iPhone 4.  Next is the 8.0 megapixel optics, which doesn't just bring sharper resolution, but pumps out noticeably better photos, too.  Overall, shots showed brighter colors, sharper focus and better performance even in low light.   And, of course, there is Siri, the electronic voice assistant that's both useful and amusing.

The 4S, of course, brings all the standard features of the previous model, from robust messaging to a wide range of connectivity options.  Bluetooth has been upgraded to 4.0, although Apple still chose to do with neither 4G nor NFC.  And there's still no HDMI port.    You can check our iOS 5 review for the phone's software-centric features.

Everything Android fanboys say about the iPhone 4S is true -- it's no longer the most drool-worthy hardware in the market.  Despite that, we doubt sales will slack and we doubt folks will feel any less satisfied using it.  The phone is available now from AT&T, Verizon and Sprint, with prices starting at $199.99 for the 16GB model.

Apple finally made the new iPhone official.  Proving most of the predictions wrong, the iPhone 4S doesn't prove to be a great departure from the last generation of the handset.  Heck, it doesn't even get a new number next to the name.

The revamped handset bears what can best be described as incremental hardware upgrade to the popular iPhone 4.  While the specs bump don't sound all that impressive, the performance numbers should, making for a beefy, albeit non-flashy, upgrade all the same.

The iPhone 4S doesn't change much in the design and general feature set.  Here are the major changes, though:

• A new processor.  It upgrades to Cupertino's latest A5, the same dual-core chip delivering muscle to the iPad 2.  According to Apple, this will account for 7x faster graphics processing, speedier iOS performance and significantly enhanced results on the gaming front.
• HSPA+.  No 4G radio on the iPhone 4S, but it does support HSPA+ on AT&T's network.  Those getting it on Sprint and Verizon, however, are stuck with the same 3G speeds as the phone's previous iteration.
• World phone.  It will have both CDMA and GSM antennas, allowing frequent travelers to use their iPhone 4S anywhere in the world.
• New camera.  The new iPhone gets a beefier 8 megapixel camera, a notable upgrade from the previous version's 5 megapixel shooter.  The module comes with a backside-illuminated sensor, five Apple-designed lenses (compared to the iPhone 4's four), and full 1080p video recording.
• Siri.  One of the most heavily-rumored features during the lead-up to the announcement is Apple's new voice-activated digital assistant.  Called Siri, the software is exactly what it sounds -- a kind of voice-activated search feature that can understand human questions and pull out answers from various data sources.  Beyond search, it can do other "assistant-like" things, such as read your SMS messages.

The iPhone 4S will launch October 14 under three carriers: AT&T, Verizon and Sprint.  Price is $199.99, $299.99 and $399.99 for the 1GB, 32GB and 64GB versions, respectively.

[Apple]

The Library of Congress and the Registry of Copyright have enacted changes to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which, among other things, officially makes the act of unlocking and jailbreaking your phones fair use.   Yesterday's new rulings for DRM circumvention included two exemptions that concern mobile phones.

The first one, which relates directly to the jailbreaking issue, states that "Computer programs that enable wireless telephone handsets to execute software applications, where circumvention is accomplished for the sole purpose of enabling interoperability of such applications, when they have been lawfully obtained, with computer programs on the telephone handset."  Yep, that's the exact ruling in legalese, so it's a little tough to read.

After straining your head a little, though, the point is pretty clear: you can circumvent Apple's (or any other manufacturer's) DRM to enable interoperability of legally-obtained software applications (that means jailbreak-friendly apps you didn't steal) with the phone's native code.  During the hearings, the Register concluded that "when one jailbreaks a smartphone in order to make the operating system on that phone interoperable with an independently created application that has not been approved by the maker of the smartphone or the maker of its operating system, the modifications that are made purely for the purpose of such interoperability are fair uses."

The second exemption, which relates to unlocking, goes "Computer programs, in the form of firmware or software, that enable used wireless telephone handsets to connect to a wireless telecommunications network, when circumvention is initiated by the owner of the copy of the computer program solely in order to connect to a wireless telecommunications network and access to the network is authorized by the operator of the network."  Stripping the obtuse language, the essence is that you can unlock your phone to use a different network than the default carrier, provided that  "access to the network is authorized by the [new] operator."

Apple actually showed up at the hearings, claiming that jailbreaking was, to summarize, terrible and illegal.  The Register, however, sided against their case, stating that "such alleged adverse effects are not in the nature of the harm that the fourth fair use factor is intended to address."

What does this mean?  Other than the fact that jailbreak-related businesses can now set up shop without fear of getting sued, not much.  Apple has reiterated that jailbreaking can still void warranty.  However, everyone can now do it without having to sit through Apple's baseless threats.

[via Ars Technica]

While Apple's press conference last Friday did address the "Antennagate" issue, Jobs also did something else that got the attention of other phone manufacturers: he claimed that other phones suffer from the same signal problems as the iPhone 4.  As expected, that didn’t sit well with the rest of the pack.

During the presentation, Apple singled out three phones they claim to have similar reception issues, hinting that it's merely the tip of the iceberg and that all devices do tend to suffer from some form of degradation when held in a specific way.  The three phones mentioned consist of the BlackBerry Bold 9700, the HTC Droid Eris and the Samsung Omnia 2.

Apple's actions irked RIM's co-CEOs, Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, who released a joint statement, pointing out that "Apple's attempt to draw RIM into Apple's self-made debacle is unacceptable. Apple's claims about RIM products appear to be deliberate attempts to distort the public's understanding of an antenna design issue and to deflect attention from Apple's difficult situation."

Despite being unnamed during the press conference, Nokia threw its two cents into the fray as well.  "Antenna design is a complex subject and has been a core competence at Nokia for decades, across hundreds of phone models," the company said in a statement.  They added, " That's why Nokia designs our phones to ensure acceptable performance in all real life cases, for example when the phone is held in either hand."  Those funny Finnish guys...

While no official word came from Samsung, one spokesperson did respond to a query, stating that "The antenna is located at the bottom of the Omnia 2 phone, while iPhone's antenna is on the lower left side of the device. Our design keeps the distance between a hand and an antenna."

Motorola's Sanjay Jha also chipped in.  According to the CEO, "Consumers don't like being told how to hold the phone ... It is disingenuous to suggest that all phones perform equally."

Apple may have attempted to drag other handsets into its antenna problems.  The general public sentiment is pretty clear, however: these issues have only become a major concern because of the way the antennas are positioned in the iPhone 4.  Chances are, we'll still hear a bit about this from both sides, so stay tuned.

[via GSM Arena]

Apple just released a statement that White iPhone 4 won't be available for a few more weeks. Anticipated availability is after second half of July. So all of you bidding on white iPhone 4 on eBay and other sources, you might want to take this announcement in account and keep your money in your pockets for now.

Apple has already sold more than 600,000 iPhone 4 models on the launch day and many customers have already received their orders a day earlier also even though official launch is supposed to be on June 24th. Rumor Mill has been on the full swing about iPhone 4 White going to Verizon but we don't believe that is the case for now.

Its destiny that Verizon will also gets its CDMA version of iPhone but we don't see it happening anytime within next 3 months. Don't be surprised though if Apple decides to announce Verizon iPhone in September 2010 for official launch in December 2010 so they can have your Christmas dollars also. Make sure you adopt junior a puppy if you are going to spend his Christmas gift money on the new iPhone for yourself.

US Auctions Australian Auctions Austrian Auctions Belgian Auctions Canadian Auctions French Auctions German Auctions Hong Kong Auctions Indian Auctions Irish Auctions Italian Auctions Dutch Auctions Polish Auctions Singapore Auctions Spanish Auctions Swiss Auctions UK Auctions

new Element Vapor Pro case for iPhone 4 and 4S White US $51.00 --> Ends In 9m <--

WHITE PORTABLE DOCK SPEAKER FOR IPOD TOUCH IPHONE LAPTOP MP3 IPHONE 4 3G 4S 3GS US $6.60 --> Ends In 15m <--

Apple iPhone 4S Latest Model 16GB White ATT Smartphone US $471.00 --> Ends In 15m <--

3m 1m USB Cable for Iphone4 4S white US $2.61 --> Ends In 24m <--

WHITE New 1900mA External Backup Battery Charger Case Black For Iphone 4 4G 4S US $.90 --> Ends In 27m <--

WHITE New 1900mA External Backup Battery Charger Case For Iphone 4 4G 4S US $.90 --> Ends In 34m <--

Apple iPhone 4 in Black is now available for pre order. Apple promises to deliver it your door by June 24th. But seems like both Apple and AT&T servers are being hammered with traffic right now as all our attempts to pre order the new iPhone have either timed out or site just goes into infinite loop of getting information.

Just tells you that iPhone legacy continues.

If you still have plenty of time on your hands, feel free to try using either Apple store or by logging into your AT&T Wireless account itself.

Apple Store offers both in store pickup and shipping option how ever AT&T online store is only offering shipping to your door. Actually who would prefer to stand in line at store if it can be shipped to your house same day as everyone else gets the iPhone 4 in US?

Apple's recently-released iTunes 8.2.1 update, which the company says “addresses an issue with verifying Apple devices,” actually does something a little more specific than that. In particular, it draws up a list of hardware units that are allowed to sync with iTunes, barring those that are merely masquerading as Apple devices.

The prime target of the update, of course, is the Palm Pre, which has used the fact that it syncs seamlessly with iTunes (identifying itself as an iPod) as one of its selling points. While the Pre did manage that capably, pulling down songs, videos and podcasts like a natively-supported gadget, Apple wasn't so keen on the idea. In fact, the iPod-makers already dropped a hint about its plans for "unsupported third-party digital media players" with a knowledge base article last month.

With iTunes 8.2.1, Apple made good on its threat, dropping the ability to sync with the erstwhile iPhone 3GS competitor. Palm confirmed this with Down Jones, even going so far as to suggest that Pre users not upgrade to the latest iTunes update. Of course, that's as terrible a solution as you can think up, considering all future updates will likely come with the same facility anyway.

All is not lost, of course, for Pre users, who have a number of syncing options available at their disposal, albeit none of which are as convenient as iTunes. Users can copy files to the Pre, after all, much like a USB drive, although that's undoubtedly a more laborious process. There are also various third-party apps that can do the job, including The Missing Sync and DoubleTwist. If anything, I'll bet we'll see a few more pop up in the next couple of weeks, trying to bridge the gap the latest move by Apple creates.

Check out these awesome daily deals on iPhone 3G S phones.

US Auctions Australian Auctions Austrian Auctions Belgian Auctions Canadian Auctions French Auctions German Auctions Hong Kong Auctions Indian Auctions Irish Auctions Italian Auctions Dutch Auctions Polish Auctions Singapore Auctions Spanish Auctions Swiss Auctions UK Auctions

Apple iPhone 3GS 32GB White Unlocked Smartphone US $91.00 --> Ends In 2h 3m <--

Apple iPhone 3GS 32GB Black Unlocked Smartphone US $305.00 --> Ends In 2h 6m <--

Apple iPhone 3GS 8GB ATT Unlocked TmobileJailbroken421 Works AS IS Look US $91.57 --> Ends In 2h 14m <--

Apple iPhone 3GS 16GB Black Unlocked Smartphone Untetered5019A405 US $132.50 --> Ends In 2h 29m <--

Apple iPhone 3GS 8GB Black Unlocked Smartphone US $129.50 --> Ends In 2h 30m <--

UNLOCKED APPLE iPhone 3GS 16GB Black 501 T Mobile Great Condition US $190.00 --> Ends In 3h 51m <--

Apple iPhone 3GS 32GB Black Unlocked Smartphone perfect condition ATT US $202.50 --> Ends In 3h 53m <--

Apple iPhone 3GS 622 GB Black Unlocked Smartphone US $225.00 --> Ends In 4h 35m <--

Apple iPhone 3GS 16GB Black Unlocked Smartphone US $155.00 --> Ends In 4h 37m <--

On the surface, the iPhone 3G S offers little separation from its previous iteration.  Opting to not fix something that isn't broken, Apple chose to update the new iPhone with a dose of performance upgrades, instead of cosmetic touches.  In fact, other than a very slight difference in weight and a new screen coating, there's really nothing to tell both versions apart.  For the most part, it's a difficult phone to review because it doesn't blow us away with features the way other new releases do.  Instead, it offers its improvements in less-superficial terms.

Inside, the changes become a little more pronounced, with a faster CPU, larger RAM, bigger storage, a new internal compass and an improved camera module.  Adding even more weight to the update is the release of iPhone OS 3.0, which coincides directly with the new handset's arrival.

S stands for speed and the 3G S lives up to the claim.  Every single software we tried, from native apps to downloaded games, ran faster when put through a side-by-side test.  The boot-up alone should clue you in as the 3G S starts up almost twice as fast as the older model.  If you think that kind of speed is not that big of an issue with your old iPhone, try to imagine the difference between using the same software on a three year old computer and a brand new one - the experience mirrors that.

Camera gets a much needed boost on this iteration, getting a bump up to 3 megapixels, with video recording and autofocus ("Tap to Focus").  Photo quality, as you can imagine, is considerably better than the 3G.  It doesn't offer that much difference from other camera phones, though, in that there's some occasional blurriness, along with less-than-desirable quality during indoor shots.  Apart from the VGA video capture (which is also decent), the phone comes with a pretty good editing application.  It's probably one of the most intuitive and useful video editors that I've seen bundled with a phone.

All the rest of the promised features - from stereo Bluetooth to voice dialing to landscape keyboard - are here, with the exception of MMS and tethering, although both are just temporary setbacks due to problems on AT&T's end.  As you well know, the phone also comes with a built-in magnetometer (which should pave the way for some cool compass-based apps, like in Android) and a beefed-up graphics processor.    One huge surprise out of all this, is that the iPhone 3G S actually fosters improved battery life compared to the 3G.  We totally thought it was a dubious claim on Apple's part, but our results seem to mirror the same conclusion.

On the connectivity end, however, we didn't notice any difference in both data and browser speeds.  It's obviously because AT&T is still in the process of upgrading their network.  We'll be sure to check back in once that 7.2Mbps HSPA implementation is rolled out later this year.  As a phone, call quality is on par with the 3G, although not as good as the original iPhone (which, in comparison, easily offered the best voice reception).

Overall, the iPhone 3G S is just as anticipated, with Apple living up to its promise in a better software and faster hardware performance.  Let's hope AT&T does so too and provides those much-delayed features soon.

Phone ReviewsiPhone 3G S Review: A Faster, More Powerful Handset In The Same Familiar Package
Check out these awesome daily deals on iPhone 3G S phones.

US Auctions Australian Auctions Austrian Auctions Belgian Auctions Canadian Auctions French Auctions German Auctions Hong Kong Auctions Indian Auctions Irish Auctions Italian Auctions Dutch Auctions Polish Auctions Singapore Auctions Spanish Auctions Swiss Auctions UK Auctions

Apple iPhone 3GS 32GB White Unlocked Smartphone US $91.00 --> Ends In 2h 3m <--

Apple iPhone 3GS 32GB Black Unlocked Smartphone US $305.00 --> Ends In 2h 6m <--

Apple iPhone 3GS 8GB ATT Unlocked TmobileJailbroken421 Works AS IS Look US $91.57 --> Ends In 2h 14m <--

Apple iPhone 3GS 16GB Black Unlocked Smartphone Untetered5019A405 US $132.50 --> Ends In 2h 29m <--

Apple iPhone 3GS 8GB Black Unlocked Smartphone US $129.50 --> Ends In 2h 30m <--

UNLOCKED APPLE iPhone 3GS 16GB Black 501 T Mobile Great Condition US $190.00 --> Ends In 3h 51m <--

Apple iPhone 3GS 32GB Black Unlocked Smartphone perfect condition ATT US $202.50 --> Ends In 3h 53m <--

Apple iPhone 3GS 622 GB Black Unlocked Smartphone US $225.00 --> Ends In 4h 35m <--

Apple iPhone 3GS 16GB Black Unlocked Smartphone US $155.00 --> Ends In 4h 37m <--

On the surface, the iPhone 3G S offers...

Apple's latest handset, the iPhone 3GS, is now available for pre-order, sporting looks that are 100% identical to its predecessor.  Why fix a design that isn't broken, after all, right?  Instead of focusing on remaking the aesthetics, Apple chose to focus the update on where it really counts: performance.

The "S" appended to the old name stands for speed, a trait which the device offers in spades.  Sporting a new processor and more streamlined execution, the 3GS loads apps and renders websites up to 300% faster than the iPhone's previous iteration.  HSDPA reception has been updated to 7.2 Mbps, twice the data connection speed previously available over AT&T's network.

Now sporting a 3.2 megapixel camera module, the handset boasts auto-focus, auto exposure and auto white balance, along with macro capabilities.  Video support is also included (with geotagging, no less), allowing for 640 x 480 recordings at 30 fps, together with quick sharing of motion capture recordings via email, MMS, MobileMe and YouTube.  Even better, the camera functions are opened up for access by all the apps, allowing for some nifty applications likely to come our way in the near future.

Remember how people were touting the iPhone as a potential gaming platform?  That sounds even more realistic now, as the device comes fitted with hardware-based 3D support, paving the way for faster games with more complex graphics.  Touchscreen comes reinforced with a special oleophobic coating, which should help keep off  fingerprints much better than the handset's previous iterations.

Voice dialing also gets a nod, with the capability available both for making calls and issuing commands during media playback.  Other features include a magnetometer (available to the onboard Compass app, along with any other software that wants to use it), greener building materials, data encryption and increased battery life (up to 12 hours of talk time on 2G).

The iPhone 3GS, which comes in both black and white colors, is scheduled to ship on June 19th, with 16GB ($199) and 32GB ($299) models.

US Auctions Australian Auctions Austrian Auctions Belgian Auctions Canadian Auctions French Auctions German Auctions Hong Kong Auctions Indian Auctions Irish Auctions Italian Auctions Dutch Auctions Polish Auctions Singapore Auctions Spanish Auctions Swiss Auctions UK Auctions

Apple iPhone 3GS 32GB White Unlocked Smartphone US $91.00 --> Ends In 2h 3m <--

Apple iPhone 3GS 32GB Black Unlocked Smartphone US $305.00 --> Ends In 2h 6m <--

Apple iPhone 3GS 8GB ATT Unlocked TmobileJailbroken421 Works AS IS Look US $91.57 --> Ends In 2h 14m <--

Apple iPhone 3GS 16GB Black Unlocked Smartphone Untetered5019A405 US $132.50 --> Ends In 2h 29m <--

Apple iPhone 3GS 8GB Black Unlocked Smartphone US $129.50 --> Ends In 2h 30m <--

UNLOCKED APPLE iPhone 3GS 16GB Black 501 T Mobile Great Condition US $190.00 --> Ends In 3h 51m <--

Apple iPhone 3GS 32GB Black Unlocked Smartphone perfect condition ATT US $202.50 --> Ends In 3h 53m <--

Apple iPhone 3GS 622 GB Black Unlocked Smartphone US $225.00 --> Ends In 4h 35m <--

Apple iPhone 3GS 16GB Black Unlocked Smartphone US $155.00 --> Ends In 4h 37m <--

Photo Credit: Gizmodo

Curious what Apple turned up for the reveal of iPhone 3.0?  About 100 or so new features that can really make user experience on the phone so much better.  Here are the highlights:

• Copy And Paste. Believe it or not, it's finally here - copy and paste for the iPhone.  It's not just for text, but for photos too.  Even better, the copy-cut-paste feature works across all applications!
• Universal Spotlight. If an application has been written to support the new Spotlight, all of its data will now be available for search from its interface.
• Stereo Bluetooth A2DP. iPhone with the 3.0 OS will now work with compatible Bluetooth A2DP speakers and headphones.
• MMS. You can now send images, audio and a whole lot of other media (except video, presumably) to non-mail-enabled phones, like you can do with pretty much any handset many years ago.
• Landscape keyboard. You now get a landscape keyboard on all apps that can really benefit from it, like Mail and Notes.
• 3G Tethering. As expected, OS 3.0 will now allow you to connect your phone to your laptop, using its 3G service to access the internet.  Whether the carriers will allow you to (and how much the privilege will cost) is a whole other question entirely.
• Peer-to-peer connectivity via Bluetooth. A new API will allow peer-to-peer connectivity for two iPhones over apps, which opens up many possibilities, especially for the phone's impending use as a premium gaming platform.
• 1000+ Other APIs. Yep, apart from the Bluetooth peer-to-peer functionality, over 1000 new APIs were released along with the OS 3.0.  Notable ones include browsing of remote content (from other iPhones), Maps, push notification, voice communication over apps and more.

iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPod Touch owners can upgrade to OS 3.0 during the summer.  It's free for both iPhone handsets although a one-time charge of $9.99 will be required for iPod Touch users.

Photo Credit: SFGate